Tortured Soul
by Roth
Summary: Gary helps an abused girl find her mother. Bad summery. Very Bad.


Title: Tortured Soul

Author: HAPPYBUNNY13

Rating: PG

Spoilers: No Spoilers

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own them.

Summary: Gary helps an abused girl find her mother. (Bad summery. Very Bad.)

Note: I had trouble with this story, but I finally finished it. Reviews and advice is welcome. Always welcome.

**Tortured Soul**

_"It's okay to take care of others, but remember to take care of yourself as well. After all if your not around in the end, how you going to help anyone?"_****

The air around her was cold, but she had stopped caring a long time ago. She just continued walking through the cold November night. The girl knew she should stop and try to find somewhere to stay for the night, but she had a lot on her mind and wasn't ready to stop yet. She pulled her thin jacket tighter around her and continued down the sidewalk.

!&!&!&

Gary was running as fast as he could down the sidewalk. His knee was aching from a fall he had taken from an earlier save that day. The paper had said that a girl was going to be found dead in an alley. The official cause of death was supposed to be hypothermia. _"What the hell is she doing out here in this kind of weather anyway?"_ Gary asked himself. He rubbed his hands together quickly trying to rid the numbness in them.

He knew where the alley was, but he had no idea when the girl was supposed to get there. The article had said that she was most likely a runaway.

Gary finally arrived at the alley and slowly walked into it. At first, the alley looked empty, but after walking a little bit farther in, Gary found a girl around thirteen huddled behind a trash can. "Are you alright?" Gary asked the girl as he stared down at her.

Startled, the girl lifted her head and looked up at Gary. "I'm fine."

"Not if you plan on staying out here all night," said Gary.

The girl looked away from Gary and pulled her legs up so she could rest her chin on her knees. She remained quiet.

"It's gonna get cold," said Gary.

The girl shivered unconsciously. "I know."

"Are you hungry?" asked Gary.

The girl looked at Gary and then away again. "Kinda."

"I could get you something to eat," said Gary. The girl didn't answer. "You're gonna freeze out here."

The girl sighed and watched her breath form a cloud in the air.

"Last chance," said Gary.

"Why not?" said the girl as she shrugged her shoulders. She slowly got up off the ground. "Beats a cold alley, I guess."

"That's one way to look at it," said Gary. As they left the alley, Gary checked the paper to make sure the story was gone.

!&!&!&

Gary and the girl, who had told him her name was Megan, walked into McGinty's and he took her back to the office.

"Hey, Marissa," he said as he walked inside.

"Hey, Gary," said Marissa. "Is there someone else here with you?" She could have sworn she had heard two sets of footsteps.

"Yeah," replied Gary. "Megan, this is Marissa Clark. Marissa this is Megan. Would you keep her company while I go find her something to eat."

"Sure," answered Marissa. Megan sat down on the couch in the office as Gary walked out of the room.

"Does he always go out and find people in alleys?" asked Megan after a minute of quiet.

"What?" asked Marissa. Marissa figured this was the girl the article had mentioned, but her question had taken her by surprise.

"Your friend," answered Megan, "does he always go out and find people in alleys or am I just a special case?" Marissa didn't answer. "Don't get me wrong," added the girl nervously. "I really appreciate this, but it was kind of weird."

"He just likes to help people," Marissa finally managed.

"That definitely sets him apart," muttered the girl.

Gary came back a few minutes later with a sandwich and a drink for Megan. The girl thanked him and started to eat.

"Do you need a ride somewhere or anything?" Gary asked once she was done.

Megan looked up at Gary and for a second, her eyes showed pure fear. "I do-don't ha-have anywhere to go," she finally managed to get out.

Gary stared at her and then asked, "Do you have anyone you can call?" Megan quickly shook her head. Gary thought for a moment and then walked out of the office.

"Where's he going?" asked Megan confused.

"I don't know," replied Marissa.

!&!&!&

Hazel heard the phone ring and she reached up to answer it. "Hello?" she said into the receiver.

"Hazel," said the person on the other end. "This is Gary. I hate to ask you this, but I need a favor."

"What?" asked Hazel.

"You know the article I told you about earlier?" said Gary. "The girl who was supposed to freeze in the alley?"

"Yes," answered Hazel.

"I found, but she doesn't have anywhere to stay," said Gary, "and I was wondering..."

"She can stay at my place," said Hazel finishing Gary's request. "I'll be there as soon as I can to pick her up."

"Thanks," said Gary.

"No problem," said Hazel. "Good-bye." She hung up the phone and sighed. She knew there were some problems between her and Gary, but she didn't want to admit it. "I have to do something," she said quietly to herself. "I have to."

!&!&!&

Gary walked back into the office and Megan looked up at him. Her eyes had a million questions, but she looked afraid to ask even one.

"I called a friend," Gary said to both Marissa and Megan. He didn't know he had answered Megan's first unasked question. "She's coming here and she said you could stay at her place."

"I can't ask you to do that," said Megan.

"You didn't ask," said Gary. "She's already on her way. Besides, do you want to sleep out on the street all night?"

"Not really," was Megan's muttered reply. Megan looked down at her feet. She was happy that he was helping her, but she knew there was nothing he could really do. "Thank you," said Megan quietly. She felt like she was taking advantage of him, but she was happy she didn't have to go home.

!&!&!&

McGinty's was packed full of people when Hazel arrived and she quickly made her way back to the office. "I'm here," she said as she opened the door.

"Hello, Hazel," said Marissa.

Megan looked up at the woman as she entered the office. She wasn't very tall, but Megan could tell she could easily demand respect. The woman looked at her and said with a smile, "Hi."

"Hello," said Megan quietly.

"What's your name?" asked the woman.

"Megan," replied Megan.

The woman extended her hand and Megan shook it. "I'm Hazel."

"You really don't have to do this," said Megan.

"No one's making me," said Hazel. "I kind of volunteered." She looked around the office. "Where's Gary?"

"Up in his loft," answered Marissa from her spot at the desk. "He had to go get something."

"Okay," said Hazel. "I'm just going to run up and talk to him real quick and then we can get out of here." Megan nodded, but didn't say anything.

Hazel walked out of the office and went up the stairs to Gary's loft. She was about to knock on the door when she saw that it was already open. "Gary?" she said as she opened the door. She saw Gary asleep on the couch with an ice pack on his knee. Hazel debated whether or not to wake him up and finally decided not to. What she had to say, could wait.

Hazel closed the door and walked back downstairs. Megan and Marissa were talking as Hazel walked in.

"Was he up there?" asked Marissa.

"Yeah," answered Hazel. She looked over at Megan. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," said Megan. She stood up and followed Hazel out of the bar.

!&!&!&

"Good Morning, Chicago!" the DJ on Gary's radio said. He quickly reached over and shut it off. Gary got up and walked over to the door. The cat was meowing loudly from behind it. "I'm coming," Gary muttered as he opened the door. "I'm coming." He had woken up last night to find himself asleep on the couch. He had gone upstairs to ice his knee and accidently fell asleep. When he went back downstairs, Megan was already gone.

The cat looked up at him and then walked into the apartment. Gary picked up the paper and opened it. At first, it didn't seem like the paper had anything for him to do, but an article Gary found disproved that thought. "'Driver with Heart Attack causes Three Car Collision.'" Gary read the title to himself. He quickly scanned the article for details. Gary set the paper down with a sigh and went to get dressed. He didn't notice a picture, not far from the article, of a wealthy looking man with his arm around a very unhappy looking teen-aged girl; a girl who bared a striking resemblance to Megan.

!&!&!&

The morning air was cold as Gary walked down the sidewalk. He hoped to catch the man before he left his job, but an unexpected detour had cost him valuable time.

He looked at his watch again and broke into a jog. The man who was going to have the heart attack worked the night shift at a convenience store and according to the article, left his job at eight in the morning.

_"There is_ _it,"_ Gary thought to himself as the store came into view. He saw the heart attack victim walking out of the store toward an old gray car.

"Wait!" shouted Gary as he ran towards him.

"What?" asked the man cautiously.

"You....," said Gary. He was trying his best to come up with an explanation. "You....."

"What?!" demanded the man becoming less cautious and more impatient.

Gary finally gave up and just said it. "You're going to have a heart attack!"

The man stared at Gary for a minute and then demanded, "What the hell are you talking about?" He glared at Gary.

"Well....," Gary started to say, but the man cut him off.

"I'm in perfect health!" the man shouted as he continued to glare at Gary. "No one in my family has ever had a heart attack!"

"But--," said Gary trying to get a word in , but again, the man cut him off.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you shouldn't go around telling people that they are going to be having a heart attack when they obviously aren't!" The man turned around, muttering something about "people who think they are psychic" and walked over to his car. He sat down in the driver's seat and was about to slam the door shut when he suddenly grabbed his chest.

"Are you okay?" asked Gary almost immediately, but he already knew the answer.

"I think--," the man started to say, but this time, Gary cut him off.

"I think you need to go to the hospital," said Gary.

The man stared at Gary as he helped him back up. Gary helped the man in the passenger's seat and the went back around to the driver's side. He sat down, closed the door, and started the engine.

!&!&!&

Megan woke up the next morning not completely sure of where she was. Last night came back to her, and she sighed. Megan looked over at the clock on Hazel's VCR and saw that it was way past ten. "That can't be right," muttered Megan. She didn't really think a grown woman would sleep this late.

Megan heard an alarm clock go off down the hall, and she saw Wadsworth get up from his spot on the kitchen floor and run down the hall to Hazel's room. A few seconds later, the alarm stopped, and Wadsworth came bounding back into the living room. He jumped up onto the couch and landed on Megan's legs.

"Good morning, dog," said Megan. The animal began to wag his tail.

"He's much more of an early bird than I am," said Hazel as she walked into the room. She yawned loudly.

"Don't you have a job you have to go to?" asked Megan giving Hazel a confused look.

"No till this afternoon," replied Hazel. "I'm a radio DJ."

"That's different," said Megan.

"It's what I'm qualified for," said Hazel. "And I don't have to go to work till the afternoon. That's a plus."

Megan nodded. "Are you his girlfriend?" she asked.

"What?" asked Hazel taken by surprise by the question.

"Are you his girlfriend?" Megan repeated. "The guy who found me."

"Uh....," said Hazel stalling for a second. "Yeah."

"Why did it take you so long to answer?" asked Megan.

"I don't know," answered Hazel, "because it's early."

"Is that a lie?" said Megan asking yet another question.

"Why do you ask so damn questions?" Hazel almost shouted.

Megan turned pale and looked almost scared by Hazel's outburst. She looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry," said Megan quietly.

"So am I," said Hazel slightly embarrassed. "I just don't take being questioned well."

Megan opened her both to ask why, but stopped herself.

"Are you hungry?" asked Hazel.

"Kind of," answered Megan.

"Well, come on then," said Hazel. "I think I might have some cereal around here somewhere."

"Thanks," said Megan. She got up off the couch and followed Hazel into the kitchen area of the room. Megan sat down at the small kitchen table and Hazel started to search through the cabinets.

"Found some," said Hazel excitedly as she grabbed a box of Fruity Pebbles from the back of the cabinet. She turned around to face Megan, but she had her back to her. Hazel saw a large dark bruise on the back of Megan's neck and several on her arms. She hadn't noticed them last night because Megan had been wearing long sleeves. Hazel opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. "Do you like Fruity Pebbles?" asked Hazel.

"I love them!" said Megan.

"Good," said Hazel, "cause it's the only kind of cereal I have."

She picked up two bowls out of the rack near the sink and grabbed the milk out of the fridge. She handed the bowl to Megan and sat down at the table. Megan poured out some cereal and the milk and then started to eat. Hazel poured out some cereal, but skipped the milk. Megan looked at the woman as she took a bite of the dry cereal. Megan slowly shook her head.

!&!&!&

Gary left the hospital three hours after he had gotten there. The doctors had told him the man, whose name was Tom Hood, would probably be okay. He walked down the sidewalk slowly, still limping slightly from the fall he had taken the day before. He pulled the paper out of his pocket and checked to see what else he had to do that day. "Nothin' till this afternoon," Gary muttered to himself. He folded the paper back up and was about to put it in his pocket when he thought about something he thought he had seen in the paper. He opened it back up and stared at a picture not far from where the article had been.

"That's Megan," Gary said quietly to himself as he stared at the girl in the picture. He quickly read the caption below the article. "'Businessman, Michael Petrov, (left) and daughter, Megan Petrov, (right) in front of his office after charity auction.'"

Gary thought to himself. "If she is the daughter of Michael Petrov, why hasn't anyone even started to look for her?" Another thought came to Gary's mind. "Why did she run away?"

He took one last look at the picture and then folded the paper back up. He needed to call Hazel once he got back to McGinty's.

!&!&!&

The dog stared up at Hazel. He had his head resting on her lap and was whining softly. Hazel wasn't paying the animal any attention. She was unconsciously biting her fingernails as she thought about Megan.

_"She could have got those bruises from anything," _Hazel thought to herself. _"When I was young, there wasn't a day that went by I didn't come home with at least one new bruise." _She stopped for a second. _"I also played in a barn with my brothers all day." _She stood up suddenly, startling the dog who still had his head on her lap, and walked into the kitchen. She picked up the phone and was about to call Gary when she heard the bathroom door open. She quickly set the phone back on the cradle and walked back into the living room.

Megan was standing there with wet hair wearing the same clothes she did yesterday. "Thanks," she said.

"No problem," replied Hazel. She looked around the room and then said, "I don't really mean to pry, but how did you get those bruises?"

Megan turned pale and her eyes went wide, "Wh-wh-wha-what bru-bru-bruises?" she finally stammered out.

"The one on the back of your neck and the ones on your arms," answered Hazel.

Megan reached up and felt the back of her neck, but didn't say anything. "You know," said Hazel, "if you need help, my friends and I can help you, but not unless you tell me what's wrong." Megan remained silent. "Fine. Let me tell you what I know about you. You're not poor because the outfit you're wearing isn't a cheap one, your hair has been professionally cut recently, and your shoes are not shoes you would normally walk around in all day." Megan looked down at her shoes. "You're running from something or someone."

Megan looked down at her feet and sighed. "I'm not sure what to say," said Megan.

"Start from the beginning," replied Hazel.

Megan collapsed onto the couch. "Four years ago, my mother and father went through a nasty divorce and it didn't end on good terms. My father got most of everything and the last thing they argued over was me. My mother wanted full custody and my father wouldn't settle for that. He got a high-priced lawyer and won the custody battle. I haven't seen my mother in almost two years, and I have no idea where she is."

"But why do you have bruises?" asked Hazel.

Megan sat there quietly for a second and Hazel was about to ask again when Megan spoke. "I didn't know this about my father until after the divorce." She took a breath. "But my father is a very violent man."

Hazel didn't need the girl to go any farther to understand what had happened, but she let Megan continue.

!&!&!&

Gary kept letting his mind wander back to Megan. "Why did she run away?" Gary asked himself.

"What?" said Marissa lifting her head.

"Just thinking aloud," said Gary.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Why would Megan run away?"

"Maybe she got into a fight with her parents," suggested Marissa.

"Maybe," said Gary.

"Did you call her father?" asked Marissa.

"I tried," replied Gary, "but I only got his secretary. I said something about his daughter, but she had no idea what I was talking about."

Marissa nodded.

"Hello," said Hazel as she and Megan walked into the McGinty's office. "How are you two?"

"Fine," said Marissa.

"Okay," said Gary a millisecond later.

"Um....Gary?" said Hazel.

"Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," replied Gary. He stood up and followed Hazel out of the office. He expected that Hazel was going to stop in the bar area, but she continued outside.

"What did you to talk about?" asked Gary once they were outside.

"Megan," replied Hazel.

"What about Megan?"

"She's a runaway."

"I kind of already know that," said Gary. "Her father is Michael Petrov." Hazel looked up at him. "It was in the paper."

"Oh," said Hazel. "She can't go back home."

"Why?"

"She has bruises on her arms and a huge one on the back of her neck," explained Hazel. Gary knew where she was going. "She's been abused by her father."

Gary shook his head. "What are we going to do?"

"She told me she hasn't seen her mother in almost two years and she doesn't know where she is."

"Do you still have your ties at the FBI?" asked Gary.

"I can call Nikki," replied Hazel with a smile.

"Do you think she could find her mother?" asked Gary.

"If she can't," answered Hazel, "I don't know who can."

Gary smiled and turned to go back inside when Hazel grabbed his arm. "There's something else I want to talk to you about," she said quietly.

"What?" asked Gary as he turned back toward her.

"You," said Hazel, "and me." Gary felt his stomach drop. "Sort of the paper, too."

"It's always has something to do with the paper," muttered Gary as he leaned against the building.

"It's not so much the paper," said Hazel, "than the fact you don't take care of yourself sometimes."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Gary. "I do take care of myself!"

"Right," said Hazel sarcastically as she nodded her head. "How's your knee?"

"M-m-my kn-kn-knee?" stammered Gary.

"Yeah," said Hazel. "I went upstairs to talk to you last night and you were asleep with an ice pack on your knee. How's it now?"

"Fine," replied Gary quickly.

Hazel smirked. "Sure it is, and that's why you limped outside."

"I do take care of myself," said Gary.

"Not all the time," said Hazel. "Sometimes you're so bound determined to save someone that you forget you're only human."

"Am I supposed to forget about them?"

"No," said Hazel, "but you have to take of yourself, too." She paused. "I don't want to lose you."

Gary sighed. "I don't want to lose you either, but the paper comes to me."

"It's not the paper!" Hazel nearly shouted in a frustrated tone. A few people walking down the sidewalk turned to look at her. "It's the fact you don't take care of yourself," she said in a much calmer and quieter voice. "I don't want to care about a person so much and then have to lose them because that has happened before."

Gary turned away and fumbled with the paper in his pocket as a distraction. He saw the save he had to prevent that afternoon. It didn't happen for another hour, but it was a welcome excuse. "I have to go," he said quietly.

"Be careful," replied Hazel.

Gary took one last look at Hazel and then walked off down the sidewalk. He felt bad, but he couldn't talk to her anymore. He was almost afraid of what she might say.

Hazel sighed and walked back into the bar. She made her way back to the office and stepped inside. She collapsed onto the couch with a sigh.

"Where's Gary?" asked Marissa.

"He had an errand to run," replied Hazel.

"Oh," said Marissa with a nod.

"What kind of errand?" asked Megan. Hazel looked over at her, but didn't say anything. "Sorry," said Megan softly.

"Something for the bar," replied Hazel not wanting the girl to feel bad. Megan smiled at her.

!&!&!&

"Hello, Suzanne," said Michael Petrov as he walked toward is office. "Do I have any messages?"

"A few," replied Suzanne. She grabbed a few pieces of paper lying on her desk and read from them. "Um....Your two o' clock appointment for tomorrow canceled."

"Kay."

"You have a business meeting on Friday."

"Alright."

"And this strange man called."

"What did he say?"

"He said he knew where your daughter was."

Michael stopped walking and turned to stare at Suzanne. "What did you say?" he asked cautiously.

"I told him I had no idea what he was talking about," replied Suzanne. "Your daughter isn't missing, is she?"

"Of course not," replied Michael with a nervous smile. "Did you get his name?"

"Why?" asked Suzanne.

"Because I wanna know the name of the nut who called my office," said Michael. Suzanne continued to stare at him. "What's his name?"

"Um....hold on," said Suzanne. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Gary Hobson is what I think he said his name was."

"Thank you," said Michael. He nodded to her and then rushed into his office.

"Wait!" said Suzanne as she stood up. "You have some more messages!" The office door slammed shut and he didn't come back out. She stared at the door a moment longer and then sat back down.

!&!&!&

Gary got back to the bar later that evening. He had decided to take a long walk after the save and didn't realize how late it was until he saw that it was starting to get dark. He had spent most of the time thinking about what Hazel had said. He knew Hazel was probably gone, but he was nervous that she might not be. He stepped into the office to talk to Marissa.

"Is that you, Gary?" asked Marissa hearing footsteps in the office.

"Yes," replied Gary.

"Where have you been?"

"A save," answered Gary.

"A save that took three hours?" said Marissa. "Did you have to deal with the police?"

"Uh...no," said Gary. He sat down at his desk. "I took a walk."

"Must have been a long walk," said Marissa.

"Yeah," said Gary softly. "I have a question for you.'

"What?"

"Do you think I don't take care of myself?"

Marissa didn't reply for a minute. Gary didn't know if she was confused or if she was stalling. "What do you mean?" she finally asked.

"With the paper and all," said Gary. "Do you think I don't take care of myself?"

"Well," said Marissa, "sometimes."

"What do you mean 'sometimes'?" asked Gary.

"You don't always make sure you're safe during a save," replied Marissa. "It's not a bad thing, but you could stand to take care of yourself better." Gary sighed and started to shuffle through the papers on his desk. "I'm sorry," said Marissa, "but it's true."

!&!&!&

Megan sat on the couch in Hazel's living room watching a movie. Hazel had left for her job an hour earlier and Megan sat there by herself. The dog was lying by the door waiting for his owner to return. The phone in the kitchen rang and startled Megan out of movie land. Hazel had told her to just let the answering machine pick it up. Megan stopped the movie and waited for the phone to stop ringing.

"This is Hazel. I'm not here so leave a message. If you're lucky, I'll call you back," the prerecorded message on the machine said.

"Hello, Hazel," said the person on the other end of the phone. "This is Nikki. Next time you want me to try and find someone, be home when I have the results. Look, I found out about Sandy Petrov. Call me when you get this message."

Megan stared in shock at the answering machine. Sandy Petrov was her mother! "How can she search for my mother? She's a radio DJ!" Megan nearly shouted. Wadsworth looked up from his spot on the floor and stared at her. Megan pushed play on the movie, but her mind was elsewhere for the rest of the night. Hazel had a lot of questions to answer when she got back.

!&!&!&

Hazel unlocked her apartment door and stepped inside. The television screen was flashing, but the sound was off. Megan was sitting on the couch staring at her "You're trying to find my mom," she said quietly.

Hazel sighed and tossed her car keys onto the counter. "Nikki called, didn't she?" she said.

"Said you should be home to hear the results next time," replied Megan. "So who is she? Is she like a private detective or something?"

"Not really," said Hazel. "She's an FBI agent."

"How do you know her?"

"I used to be an FBI agent," replied Hazel. "Nikki is my ex-partner. I called her to see if maybe she could find anything about your mother."

"Why?"

"Do you want to go back and live with your father?"

"No," answered Megan, "but he has custody of me."

"Not if you tell the police he abused you," said Hazel.

"What if they don't believe me," said Megan, "and I have to go back and live with him? He'll kill me for trying to run away." Megan looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Hazel didn't know if she was going to regret what she said next, but she said it anyway. "I promise you I won't let that happen," said Hazel quietly.

"Really?"

"Crossmy heart and hope to die."

Megan wiped her eyes which had started to tear up and then asked, "When did you call her?"

"Saturday," replied Hazel, "when we got back."

"What did she find out?"

"Nikki is a good agent," said Hazel. "I'd bet anything that she found out where your mother is."

"What if she doesn't want me anymore?" said Megan. "What if she left because she doesn't care about me anymore?"

"It's you choice," said Hazel. "We don't have to call Nikki, but it's basically between finding out about your mother or going back to your father."

Megan swallowed hard. "Call her," she said quietly. Hazel smiled and picked up the phone.

!&!&!&

Michael Petrov waited in his office. It had taken him the weekend to find out who Gary Hobson was. How he knew that his daughter was missing was another thing. _"I believe I'm going to have a talk with Mr. Hobson,"_ Michael thought to himself. _"See if he had anything to do with my daughter running away."_

!&!&!&

"Good morning, Chicago," the DJ on the radio said excitedly. "It's a beautiful Monday morning. The temperature will be in the low-forties and the sky should be sunny for most the--." Gary reached over and slapped the button on top the clock radio. He pulled the pillow over his head hoping to block out the sound of the cat. The loud yowl of the cat cut through the pillow and reached Gary's ears.

"I'm coming," Gary replied to the cat's persistent meowing. He stumbled through his apartment and over to the door. He grabbed the doorknob and let the door swing open. The cat quickly ran into the apartment and Gary bent down and picked up the paper. He closed the door and walked back into his apartment.

Gary yawned loudly and opened the paper. He had two minor traffic accidents and a mugging to prevent that, but other than that, his day was free. He folded the paper back up and went to a get a cup of coffee.

!&!&!&

"What do you want to do today?" Hazel asked Megan.

"Normally," said Megan, "I would go to school, but I don't think that is an option."

"Well," said Hazel, "today is my day off so I'm basically up for anything."

"We could call my mother," suggested Megan.

"Okay," said Hazel, "I think I put her number in the kitchen." Hazel walked into her kitchen and picked the number up off the counter. She grabbed the phone and handed both items to Megan.

Megan dialed the number and waited while the phone rang. "Hello?" said the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Is this Sandy Petrov?" asked Megan hopefully.

"I used to be," replied the woman. "Who is this?"

"Mom," said Megan, "it's me."

!&!&!&

Michael Petrov walked into the bar around noon and looked around. It was nearly packed because of the lunch rush and he was starting to doubt he would be able to talk to anyone. He walked up to the bar and said to the bartender, "I need to talk to Gary Hobson."

"I'm not sure where he is," said the bartender.

"But I need to talk to him," said Michael.

"Like I said," the bartender replied, "I'm not sure where he is."

Michael glared at the bartender and tuned back around. He was about to leave and when the bartender said, "There he is."

"Where?" asked Michael. He looked around trying to find who the man was talking about.

"He's the tall guy with dark hair who just walked in," explained the bartender.

Michael saw the man and walked over to him. "Are you Gary Hobson?" asked Michael.

"Yes," replied Gary, "and you are?"

"My name is Michael Petrov," said Michael. "I need to talk to you about my daughter." Gary stared at the man, but didn't say anything. "You called my secretary a couple of days ago and said you know where she is"

"Well," said Gary, "I th-thi-think you might be mistaken."

"Then how did you know she was missing?" asked Michael. Gary stared at him, but didn't reply. "Do you have an office we could talk in?"

Gary nodded and led Michael to the McGinty's office.

"Let me make this simple," said Michael. "You know where my daughter is and you're going to tell me."

"What's going on, Gary?" asked Marissa. Michael turned toward the woman startled. He hadn't known she was in the office.

"I don't know where she is," Gary repeated.

"Who are you?" asked Marissa.

"I am Michael Petrov," said Michael, "and I want to know where my daughter is."

"I don't know where she is," Gary repeated. _"If I can just get this guy to leave," _Gary thought to himself, _"I can call Hazel."_

"I'm not leaving until I know where my daughter is," said Michael angrily.

Gary sighed. "I swear, I don't know where she is." He knew this man would never believe him.

!&!&!&

The smile had not left Megan's face since her conversation with her mother. She and Hazel were on their way to McGinty's.

"She said that she was gonna come by train," said Megan excitedly. She was sitting next to Wadsworth in the cab of Hazel's truck. "How long do you think it will take her to get here?"

"Depends on when she leaves," replied Hazel. A car was just pulling out from in front of McGinty's and Hazel quickly took their spot.

"Oh my God," said Megan as the smile disappeared from her face. "That's my dad's car." She pointed through the windshield at a silver Mercedes.

Hazel looked at the car noticing the vanity plates that read 'Petrov 1.' "That car definitely puts my truck to shame," muttered Hazel.

"I can't go in there," said Megan nervously as she brought her legs up to rest her head on her knees. "He'll see me."

"You wait out here with Wadsworth," said Hazel. "I'll go in there and see what's going on." She unhooked her seatbelt and got out of the truck.

!&!&!&

"You can't come in here and demand that we tell you something when it is obvious that we have no idea what you're talking about!" Marissa shouted at the man. "We don't know where she is!"

"Yes you do," Michael retorted. The argument was now basically between Marissa and Michael.

There was a quiet knock on the office door and Hazel walked in. "Uh....Gary," said Hazel. "Um...I brought that thing for the bar, but I need help getting it out of my truck."

Gary stared at her for a moment completely confused, but the desperate look on her face told him what she was talking about. "Oh yeah," said Gary with a nod, "that thing." He looked at Michael. "I have to go help her." He followed Hazel out of the office and outside to her truck.

"He's in there, isn't he?" said Megan once they were out there.

"Yeah," said Hazel.

"What are we gonna do?" asked Megan nervously.

"Maybe we should go to the police," said Gary. "They have to believe her."

"No they don't," said Megan. "I've tried it before. He's got friends everywhere. He just comes and picks me up, and I fail."

"What about when your mom gets here?" asked Hazel. Gary looked over at her. "We got a hold of her."

"You think they'll believe me if my mom is there?" asked Hazel.

"It's worth a try," replied Hazel with a shrug.

"We just have to keep you away from your father until your mother shows up," said Gary. "I don't think it's gonna be easy."

!&!&!&

"Where did he go?" Michael demanded of Marissa.

"That's none of your business," replied Marissa.

Michael glared at the woman and then started to pace around the office. He looked at the empty desk the he figured most likely belonged to Gary Hobson. It had three picture sitting on it and it was cluttered with papers. He looked at the photos to keep his mind occupied. The first was a photo of the man and the women in the office and a second guy that Michael hadn't seen before. The second photo looked to be of the man, Gary Hobson, and his parents and the last one was of the man and the woman who had walked into the office. He picked up the photo to look at it more closely.

"Please don't touch anything," said Marissa. Michael looked up at the woman and then set the photo down. He walked out of the office, into the bar area, and then outside.

"There he is," said Megan when she saw him walk out of the bar.

Hazel looked up and then moved in front of the window so he couldn't see Megan. As an extra precaution, Megan ducked down.

Michael Petrov looked over at them and then walked over to his car. He got behind the wheel and then looked back over at the group by the truck. Hazel was now standing off to the side and he could see the person in the passenger's seat. His daughter was sitting there. He glared at them and pulled away.

!&!&!&

"So what are we gonna do?" asked Hazel.

"Keep busy for a few days," said Gary. "Don't let him find you."

Megan nodded and Hazel sighed. "We'll see you later," said Hazel. She walked around to driver's side of the car and got into the seat.

"Good-bye," said Gary. "Be careful." Hazel nodded and she pulled away.

Gary walked back into the bar and then into the office. "Where did he go?" asked Marissa.

"He just left," replied Gary.

"What about Hazel and Megan?"

"Hopefully," relied Gary, "they can stay away from him until her mother shows up."

"Her mother?" said Marissa.

"One of Hazel's friends at the FBI was able to find her mother," said Gary. "They called her and she's coming here."

"Did she ever try going to the police?" asked Marissa.

"She said she did," replied Gary, "but they didn't believe her and her father took her back home. She thinks that maybe being with her mother will help them believe her."

"I feel sorry for her," said Marissa. "He seems really possessive."

"What do you mean?" asked Gary.

"He never said Megan," replied Marissa. "He always said my daughter."

Gary thought back to the conversation and realized that Marissa was right. Gary sighed and started to work on some paperwork.

!&!&!&

"So what do you want to do?" Hazel asked Megan.

"I don't know," replied Megan with a shrug.

"Well," said Hazel, "Gary said to keep busy."

Megan sat there quietly for a few minutes and then asked, "Have you ever been to Navy Pier?"

Hazel took a quick glance at her and then looked back at the road. "Actually, no I haven't."

"It's pretty cool," said Megan. "Before the divorce, my mom used to take me there a lot. We loved the Ferris Wheel."

"Do you want to go today?" asked Hazel. "Gary said to keep busy."

"Sure," replied Megan.

"Alright," said Hazel. "We'll have to drop Wadsworth off at the apartment, but other than that, it's fine with me."

"Cool," said Megan.

Hazel made her turn and headed toward her apartment.

!&!&!&

The cat jumped up onto the desk again and Gary sighed. He pushed the cat down again and went back to work. The cat let out a low growl and jumped back up. "For the last time," Gary said to the animal, "stay down." He pushed it down again, but this time the paper went with it. Gary reached down and picked it up. He gasped when he saw the article the paper had fallen open to.

"What is it?" asked Marissa.

"Something changed," replied Gary.

"What?"

Gary swallowed and read the new article. "'Violence at Navy Pier.' 'Yesterday at Navy Pier, violence erupted. Businessman, Michael Petrov, attacked two people. His daughter, Megan Petrov, and radio DJ, Maureen Hazel. Megan Petrov was taken to Cook County Hospital where she was said to be in fair condition.'"

"What about Hazel?" asked Marissa.

"It sa-says tha-that she died be-before th-the-they re-reached the hos-hospital," replied Gary. He closed the paper and stuffed it into his pocket. "I ha-have to go. Thi-this happens in th-thirty minutes." He rushed out of the office leaving Marissa dumbfounded.

!&!&!&

"So how long have you known Gary?" asked Megan. They had just gotten off the Ferris wheel and were walking around. Due to the cool weather, the pier wasn't exactly crowed.

"Few years now," replied Hazel.

"How long have you been dating?"

"Not as long."

"He likes to help people, doesn't here?" said Megan.

"Yeah," replied Hazel. "He's a good person."

"Megan?" said a voice behind them.

Megan froze and closed her eyes. "No," said Megan repeatedly as she shook her.

Hazel turned around and saw Michael Petrov standing there. "It's time to come home, Megan," he said coldly. He reached out to grab Megan's arm, but Hazel stopped him by grabbing his.

"She's not going anywhere with you," said Hazel.

"Are you going to stop?" asked Michael. He smirked at her.

"Yeah," replied Hazel. "I am."

Michael twisted his arm around and in the process, twisted Hazel's arm behind her back. He pushed her forward and she stumbled to the ground. Hazel quickly got back to her feet and grabbed Megan's arm. "Run," said Hazel as she pulled Megan along with her; Michael was not far behind.

!&!&!&

Gary reached Navy Pier and stopped to catch his breath. At first, he had been riding in a cab, but when they had almost gotten there, traffic had gotten heavy. Gary had paid the cab driver and decided to run the rest of the way. He pulled out the paper to see where on the pier this happened and then took off toward that spot.

!&!&!&

"Where is he?" Hazel asked herself. The area was almost completely deserted and Megan and Hazel had flattened themselves up against the wall of a building hoping that they could see Michael, but he wouldn't see them.

"Do you see him?" Megan asked nervously.

"No," said Hazel. "We should probably try and get back to the truck."

"What if he sees us?" asked Megan.

"Hopefully," replied Hazel, "we'll be running fast enough that he won't be able to catch us."

Megan looked up at her with fear in her eyes and said quietly, "Hopefully?"

Hazel looked down at her and gave her a shaky smile. "It was a joke," she said. Megan just stared at her. "Not funny?" said Hazel.

"No," replied Megan.

!&!&!&

Michael glared at his daughter and the woman who had helped him get away. He walked towards them as quietly as he could, and it wasn't until he was standing about two feet from them, that they realized he was there. Megan had taken a nervous glance over her shoulder and saw her father standing there. She grabbed Hazel's arm and as she backed up, stumbled against her.

"What?" asked Hazel turning toward the young girl. She saw what Megan was so afraid of and pushed the girl behind her.

"It's time to go home, Megan," said Michael as he took a step toward her.

"She's not going anywhere with you," said Hazel repeated pushing Megan farther behind her.

Michael glared at the two for a second and then reached out. He clamped down on Hazel's arm and twisted her arm behind her back. Hazel inhaled sharply as pain shot up her arm and she struggled to pull it loose. Megan just stood there staring completely shocked by the scene.

"Run," Hazel whispered to her hoping Michael wouldn't hear. It took a second for the command to register in Megan's mind and Megan shook her head slowly as she backed out of the alley. She turned around and took off running.

Hazel forced herself to calm down and remember what she had learned in FBI. She brought her foot down on Michael's and used the momentary distraction to pull her arm free. Hazel tried to make a run for it, but Michael grabbed her shoulders and shoved her into the wall. Hazel's head collided full force with wall and she sank to the ground stunned.

!&!&!&

Gary ran toward the alley and collided with Megan. She looked completely dumbfounded. He grabbed by her by her shoulders and asked, "Where is Hazel?" Megan pointed a shaky finger to the alley she had been hiding only moments before. Gary let go if her and ran into it. He saw Michael about to land a powerful kick at Hazel's head, but before he could, Gary tackled him. They both fell to the ground. Gary quickly got to his feet and used the free moment to glance back at Hazel. He saw that she was slowly trying to get back up.

Michael got to his feet and took a wild swing at Gary, but he saw it coming in time to duck. It merely grazed him alongside the head. Gary shoved the man against the alley wall and heard a thud as Michael's head connected with it. He sank to the ground.

Gary turned back around and excepted to see Hazel standing, but was shocked to see her still lying on the ground. He knelt down beside and tried to get her into a sitting position. He saw that she had a large gash across her forehead, but other than that she seemed to be unharmed. "Hazel?" he said quietly trying to wake her up. "Hazel, wake up." Hazel shook her head weakly and her eyes started to flutter.

Gary sighed and looked up hoping to see someone who could help. Megan was standing at the entrance of the alley staring at her now unconscious father. Something clicked in Gary's mind, and he reached into the pocket of Hazel's coat pulling out her cellphone. "Come here," Gary said to the girl. She walked over to Gary and he handed her the phone. "Call an ambulance and the police." Megan nodded and dialed the numbers.

"Hazel?" Gary said again. "Please, wake up." Gary could tell that her eyes were moving, but her the lids remained closed. The cut, Gary figured, would probably need quite a few stitches. He wished he had a handkerchief or something to try and clean it up, but he wasn't so lucky.

Hazel's eyes suddenly opened and she quickly sat. Her head began to swim and she grabbed hold of it.

"Hazel!" said Gary worriedly. "Are you okay?!"

She looked back at him, looking slightly dazed, and asked, "What happened?"

"I'm thinking you hit your head," replied Gary. "You're gonna need stitches."

"My head hurts," replied Hazel. Gary stared at her thinking that she might even have a concussion because of her inability to focus. Hazel looked around the alley and saw Michael lying there. "Is-s Me-Megan oka-okay?"

"She's fine," replied Gary. He took Hazel's arm and helped her slowly to her feet. "You gonna be okay?"

"I th-thi-think," replied Hazel. She looked up at Gary and said blankly, "Thanks."

"No problem," replied Gary. "There's an ambulance on the way and the police."

"I don't wanna go to the hospital," said Hazel.

"You don't have a choice," said Gary. He smiled at her.

!&!&!&

It was three days later and Gary, Marissa, Hazel, and Megan sat in McGinty's waiting for Megan's mother to arrive. Michael Petrov had been arrested, and Megan's mother wasn't needed to prove anything anymore. The cut on Hazel's forehead required seven stitches, and Gary was right about her having a concussion. The concussion was gone now, and the cut was covered by a bandage.

Gary and Hazel were sitting next to each other at the bar talking quietly to each. It was the first real chance they had had to talk since the accident.

"I'm sorry about what I said a few days ago," said Hazel.

"What do you mean?" asked Gary.

"When I said that you would do anything to help a person and didn't take care of yourself," said Hazel. "I don't think I really got it. I guess I had to risk everything to help a person before I really got it."

"I can understand," said Gary. "Let's make a promise."

"No more fighting business men?" said Hazel.

"Well that I guess," said Gary, "and that we both take better care of ourselves." Hazel nodded in understanding.

"Mom!" they heard Megan shout from behind them. They turned around and saw Megan hugging a woman in her late thirties. After their reunion, Megan and Sandy walked over to where Gary, Marissa, and Hazel were.

"I can't thank you enough," said Sandy with tears in her eyes. She shook each of their hands.

"Your welcome," said Gary.

"It was a pleasure," said Marissa with a smile.

"We were happy to help," said Hazel.

"We'll be going back to New York soon," said Sandy, "but I had to meet the people who saved my daughter's life." They smiled at the woman as she went back to hugging Megan.

"You did a great job," said Hazel with a smile.

"You helped her," said Gary looking at her.

"Yeah," said Hazel, "but you got there in time to save her. You know what would have happened if you weren't there."

Gary shuddered at the thought. "Yeah," he said quietly. He hadn't told Hazel what there article had said about her. "I know."

!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&!&

I'm done. In my own opinion, not my greatest work, but I did my best. Reviews and advice are welcome.


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